Why must the devil be Defeated?
Chapter 402 - 395 Mad Dog Loses Reason_2

Chapter 402: 395 Mad Dog Loses Reason_2

Including Barry, it was the same.

At that moment, Barry could only suppress the anger in his heart and approach Shane, taking a seat in front of him.

It must be said that the Duke indeed held a high position; his posture was upright, his expression cold, emanating an iron-blooded, ruthless aura that was enough to make an ordinary person’s legs go weak on the spot.

But Shane, naturally, was not among those affected.

"What might be the purpose of the Duke making a special trip to such a place to find me?"

Shane asked in a seemingly casual manner.

Barry did not engage in much superficial politeness, or perhaps he was not in the mood, and went straight to the point.

"I’ve already gathered some intelligence," Barry said indifferently, "It’s said that Lord Bezut had arrived here and entered Cosmos just before the incident happened, had quite a conflict with Lady Cappelen of the Empire, and even encountered the First Knight Order and the Broken Blade Knights."

It seemed that Barry had indeed learned about the events that had occurred in Cosmos.

"Indeed, that’s true."

Shane didn’t deny it, but responded readily.

"Then, I have three questions, and I hope you can answer them for me."

Barry narrowed his eyes and spoke.

"Oh?" Shane seemed intrigued, curiously asking, "What questions?"

"First," Barry extended a finger and asked calmly, "Why did you suddenly leave the Royal Capital and come here?"

"Is that your question?" Shane responded, somewhat amused and as if it were quite interesting, "I was entrusted by the Princess to come here to investigate the matters concerning the Old Demon Clan Faction within Duke Sterling’s Domain. This matter, upon my arrival in Duke Sterling, when I reached Jeliteli, I had already spoken to Captain Triss of Sterling Family’s Second Knight Order about it, and I mentioned it in front of the gatekeeper of Cosmos. Surely, Duke, you wouldn’t have failed to find such information?"

Shane’s intention was simple, just to insinuate that Barry was asking questions he already knew the answers to.

"That’s the second question," Barry continued without changing his expression, not feeling embarrassed at all, but instead continued to inquire, "Since you were in Cosmos at the time of the incident, what were you doing then?"

"Is this another question you already know the answer to?" Shane’s tone became more interesting, making him smile as he said, "Surely the Divine Race has already informed you, as a Lord, through the Kingdom, giving you a rough idea of what happened in Cosmos?"

Through Anima’s narration, the world had learned that the reason Cosmos was destroyed was because of an ancient Evil God sealed there which the Old Demon Clan Faction had released, causing great disaster.

However, Anima did not tell the world how the Evil God was dealt with, so everyone assumed that the Evil God had been subdued by one of the Three Great Goddesses, the Life Goddess, and that the people inside Cosmos were safe, thanks to this Goddess.

However, Shane was not mentioned.

This was to protect Shane’s identity, as well as Lilith’s, to prevent them from being suspected or exposed.

Therefore, according to the story, Shane and the people of Cosmos were alike, all moved outside Cosmos for protection after the event occurred.

If it weren’t for that, Shane wouldn’t be able to live so comfortably in this inn; someone would have sought him out long ago.

So...

"Duke, you are free to suspect me, but could you please not ask so many roundabout questions?" Shane, as if he had seen through Barry’s intentions, finally spoke sarcastically, "Say what you want to say directly, Duke."

These words were already bordering on being offensive.

"...then I’ll speak frankly."

Barry was silent for a moment, then coldly looked at Shane and spoke solemnly.

"My son, my brother, and my First Knight Order, where did they go?"

Barry had finally stated his true purpose.

Yes.

Barry had come to find people.

"Before the incident, you had encountered both the First Knight Order and the Broken Blade Knights, advising them not to approach the place where evil energy emanated," Barry, holding back his emotions, said, "That is to say, before the incident, you might already have known the inside story but not only did you not leave Cosmos, you seemed to have approached the very center of the event."

Barry had collected such information, which is why he had come seeking answers.

Since Shane had known some inside information right from the start, Barry naturally wouldn’t believe that this cunning Little Fox, who had tricked him more than once, would be so easily transferred out of Cosmos and never participated in the heart of the incident.

It is more accurate to say, rather than Shane being passively removed from the center of the event, Barry preferred to believe that there were unknown secrets involved.

And Shane was one of the insiders, even a participant.

"I want to know what has happened here that nobody knows about. I want to know where my son, my brother, and our most elite Knight Order have gone!"

At this point, Barry could hardly hide his anxious tone.

"Tell me! I want to know everything!"

Barry almost snarled as he spoke.

One could imagine how devastating this was for the Duke.

Lymco was the Sterling Family’s future heir, hoped by his family to lead them back to the center of power in the Kingdom.

Yuri was also a formidable force of the Sterling Family, the top expert within the domain, a crucial pillar of the Sterling Family, and a symbol of their highest combat power.

Speaking of the First Knight Order, they were the premier Knight Order in Duke Sterling’s Domain, comprising the most important elite warriors and crucial battle strength of the Sterling Family.

How could Barry not be anxious when such a force had vanished without a trace?

This was undoubtedly a disaster, potentially severe enough to topple the Sterling Family from their pedestal of power.

Barry could even envision how, after this battle, neighboring countries would eagerly watch for opportunities and how nearby lords would stir, attempting to take a massive bite out of the Sterling Family.

It was like a nightmare for the whole Sterling Family, with constant uproar and panic these days.

Barry too was so affected, unable to maintain his usual ruthlessness, and plunged into the greatest anxiety and restlessness of his life.

If not so, Barry would not have approached Shane.

He even suspected that Shane might have had a hand in something going wrong with Lymco and the others.

This was what they call pettiness.

It was always himself who had schemed against others, yet he naturally assumed others would scheme against him too—what else could this be, if not pettiness?

Shane understood the implication, and his smile inevitably faded.

"What? Did I guess right?"

Barry suddenly scoffed coldly and clenched his fists tightly.

In response, Shane wanted to say,

"I really am too idle, why would I bother dealing with someone like you?"

This time, it was Shane’s turn to be expressionless, even muttering to himself.

Shane’s reaction undoubtedly made Barry even more anxious.

"Answer me!" Barry stared intensely at Shane, his eyes reddening as he growled, "Was it you!?"

Clearly, Barry was driven into a corner.

One could imagine how immense the pressure this incident had inflicted upon Barry.

Heir, mainstay, greatest battle power, and the future hope of the family—all these supports collapsing at once made even the feared Iron-blooded Duke start to lose rationality.

Shane could no longer be bothered with this beaten dog.

"To argue with someone like you is truly a waste of time."

Shane, as if completely disinterested, stood up and left.

Just then, something unexpected happened.